Yellow-rumped Honeyguide (Indicator xanthonotus).


Posted by Chewang Bonpo on Tue May 16, 2017 8:24 pm

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OTHER NAMES: Honeyguide, Indian Honeyguide, Orange-rumped Honeyguide, Himalayan Honeyguide. 

TAXONOMY: Indicator xanthonotus Blyth, 1842, Darjeeling. Two subspecies recognized; the nominated race I. x. xanthonotus Blyth, 1842 occurs from Nepal E to NE India, SE Tibet and N Myanmar. 

Status: Near Threatened 

FIELD CHARCTERS: Size: 16 cm. Sparrow-sized bird ; Greenish grey body , with yellow forehead, crown and face, conspicuous yellow rump patch, white on inner webs of tertials, and broad dark ventral streaks; tail appears all dark, square-ended. Female more restricted yellow and yellower rump than male, while mantle appears duller with more olive streaking. 

HABITAT AND BEHAVIOUR: Altitude 1500-2600 meters rocky, wooded gorges and streams with cliffs having colonies of giant honeybee (Apis dorsata); usually with mixed deciduous-coniferous or dry deciduous forest nearby. Mainly staple food is beewax but also takes insects in flight, though reported to take some bees. Usually seen near y giant rock bee (Apis dorsata) nests on rock-faces, Feeds on unguarded or exposed wax, and fallen pieces; also feeds wax at abandoned nests. Not known if also feeds on wax of other bees. 

April 2017, West Arunachal Pradesh 

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Chewang Bonpo
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Location: Sikkim,North-East India
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